EPA Proposes New Protections Against Mercury and Other Hazardous Air Pollutants

Today, the EPA proposed strengthening protections against heavy metals, mercury and other hazardous air pollution emitted from power plants, protecting vulnerable communities from some of the most dangerous types of air pollution.

In 2012, EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards set technology-based emissions standards for a variety of hazardous air pollutants, including mercury, a neurotoxin particularly harmful to children and pregnant mothers. The Clean Air Act requires EPA to periodically review–and, if necessary, strengthen–air toxics standards to ensure they are based upon the latest available technology.

In today’s proposal, EPA indicates that by adopting cost-effective, readily available pollution controls, coal-fired plants can substantially reduce their emissions of heavy metals like chromium and arsenic. EPA also proposes reducing mercury emissions from lignite-burning plants in Texas and North Dakota, which produce especially large quantities of mercury pollution.

Since its implementation, the 2012 MATS rule has led to huge reductions in pollutants like mercury, arsenic, and hydrochloric acid that would otherwise expose communities to mercury-contaminated fish as well as dirtier air and water, with mercury emissions from power plants declining by 91 percent between 2010 and 2020.

The proposal will be available for public comment for 60 days following its publication in the Federal Register.

In response, Sierra Club Senior Director of Energy Campaigns Holly Bender released the following statement:

"As a mother, my children are my top priority, and I am deeply worried about the serious health risks that mercury pollution poses to them. There is no safe level of mercury exposure, and while we have made significant progress advancing clean energy, coal-fired power plants remain one of the largest sources of mercury pollution. It's alarming to think that toxic pollutants from coal plants can build up in places like Lake Michigan where we go camping and swimming in the summer, and where people fish to feed their families. Today, we applaud the Biden Administration's commitment to prioritizing children's health, and we urge the EPA to quickly and decisively implement strong mercury and air toxics standards. Our kids deserve to live and play in a healthy, safe environment, and our leaders must do everything in their power to make that a reality."